Church

When Christians speak of the “church” we are referring to both people and a building. If that isn’t complicated enough, there are two different churches. The visible or local church and the invisible or universal church. The visible church is the buildings and their members. The invisible or universal church refers to all believers everywhere no matter what local body they attend. All true believers belong to the invisible church, but the same cannot be said about members of the visible church, which is why some churches fall short of Christ’s expectations. Regardless, the role of the church is worship, edification and evangelism. When we speak of “going to church” we are talking about the local church. That concept harkens back to a derivative of a Greek word found in the Old Testament that is translated “the house of the Lord.” In the Septuagint, LXX, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, it referred to Israelites gathered together for religious purposes. Later, it was used for those who gathered to worship the Lord in secret to avoid persecution. Church, as a gathering of God-worshippers, remains a visual bridge between the old and new covenants. 

In the New Testament, a different Greek word, ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklesia), is translated as church. In the time of Jesus, one of five variations of it, ekklesua, was used to describe people assembled in response to a herald’s summons—essentially a public gathering at the direction of an official. That is appropriate. Jesus is the head of the church (Colossians1:18). He gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25).  And he expects us to worship as a body (Hebrews 10:25). A form of ekklesia appears 114 times in the New Testament. It only appears in the gospels twice, both times in Matthew. The first time is during a conversation between Jesus and the apostle Peter. “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18 | NIV). Close reading of the New Testament reveals the church is the supernatural family of God created by the Holy Spirit; working together to expand the Kingdom of God under Christ’s leadership. As with any family, there will be disagreements over non-essential issues (doctrine), but total agreement on the essentials. Soon that won’t matter. When Jesus returns the universal, invisible church will consist of one people worshipping at God’s throne. Petty differences will have been forgotten. Whether we use it to describe believers or a building, the church stands as a testament to God’s people’s desire to corporately worship him.